Definitive Study Notes on the Life, Family, and Early Childhood of Jose Rizal

Identity and Birth of the National Hero

• Full Name: Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado Alonso y Realonda.

• Date of Birth: June $19$, $1861$.

• Time of Birth: Born between eleven and twelve midnight.

• Place of Birth: Calamba, Laguna.

• Nickname: ‘PEPE’.

• Date of Death: December $30$, $1896$.

• Primary Works: Famous for Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

• Involved Organizations: La Solidaridad and La Liga Filipina.

Baptismal Rites and Naming

• Baptismal Date: June $22$, $1861$.

• Ceremony Location: Calamba Catholic Church.

• Officiating Priest: Rev. Rufino Collantes, a Batangueño parish priest.

• Sponsor: Fr. Pedro Casañas.

• Naming Convention: He was named ‘Jose’ in honor of San Jose (St. Joseph) because his mother was a devotee to the saint.

Ancestry and Heritage

• Racial Composition: Rizal was a product of a blend of races, with blood from Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, and Tagalog ancestors.

• Royal Lineage: Genealogical research (including work by Fr. Victor Badillo S.J. and Zaide & Zaide, $2008$) traces his lineage to Lacan Dula (or Lakan Dula), who was considered the last native king of Tondo and one of the chiefs encountered by the first Spaniards in Manila.

• Paternal Lineage:     - Great-great grandfather: Domingo Lamco, a Chinese merchant who migrated from Parian to Biñan.     - Great-great grandmother: Ines de la Rosa, a Chinese mestiza.     - Social Standing: They settled in a Dominican-owned estate as tenants.

• Maternal Lineage:     - Great grandfather: Manuel de Quintos, a Chinese lawyer from Pangasinan.     - Great grandmother: Regina Ursua, a woman of Japanese descent.     - Grandmother: Brigida de Quintos, a well-educated woman and skilled mathematician.     - Grandfather: Lorenzo Alonso, a wealthy engineer.     - Mother: Teodora Alonso ($1826$-$1911$).

• Father: Francisco Mercado ($1818$-$1898$).

Etymology of Surnames

• Mercado: Derived from the word meaning "Market," it served as the original family name.

• Rizal: Derived from the word "RICIAL," meaning "Greenfield" or "green pasture."

• Academic Usage: Jose adopted the second surname "RIZAL" specifically when he began his schooling at the Ateneo.

The Rizal Siblings and Family Dynamics

1. Saturnina (Neneng): ($1851$-$1913$); Married Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas.

2. Paciano (Nor Paciano): ($1851$-$1930$); Ten years older than Jose. He joined the Spanish-Philippine Revolution and had two children with common-law wife Severina Decena.

3. Narcisa (Sisang): ($1852$-$1939$); Married Antonio Lopez, a teacher and nephew of Father Leoncio Lopez.

4. Olympia (Ypia): ($1855$-$1887$); Married Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph operator.

5. Lucia: ($1857$-$1919$); Married Mariano Herbosa. Herbosa died of cholera in $1889$ and was denied Christian burial because he was Rizal’s brother-in-law.

6. Maria (Biang): ($1859$-$1945$); Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan.

7. Jose (Pepe): ($1861$-$1896$); Considered the "lucky seven" of the family; partner of Josephine Bracken in Dapitan.

8. Concepcion (Concha): ($1862$-$1865$); Died at age $4$ due to illness. This was Jose’s first experience of grief.

9. Josefa (Panggoy): ($1865$-$1945$); Remained single; died at age $80$.

10. Trinidad (Trining): ($1868$-$1951$); Remained single; died at age $83$.

11. Soledad (Choleng): ($1870$-$1929$); Youngest sibling; married Pantaleon Quintero.

Home Life and Values

• The Rizal House: A two-storey, earthquake-proof rectangular structure built of adobe stone and hardwoods, considered one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba.

• Household Training: Children were loved but not spoiled. They were trained to be obedient and respectful.

• Religious Foundation: Daily prayers and the Angelus were mandatory. Misbehavior resulted in a "sound spanking."

Formative Childhood Memories

• The Garden: At age $3$, Jose’s first memories were of playing in the garden. He was notably sickly and undersized, requiring an old woman (aya) to care for him.

• Nature and Leisure: He loved climbing fruit trees, watching birds and plants, and taking moonlight walks by the river and lakes with his nanny, Ina Munda.

• Religious Rituals: Praying the night rosary on the azotea and attending novenas with his mother at the church.

• Cultural Upbringing: Listening to folklores, legends, and imaginary tales about fairies.

• The Moth and the Flame: A story told to him that carried a warning about the danger of light. Jose interpreted the flame’s brightness as a metaphor for the pursuit of Freedom.

Early Education and Discipline in Biñan

• Formal Schooling ($1871$): Rizal studied in Biñan under Maestro Justiniano Cruz.

• Academic Mastery: Focused on Latin and Spanish.

• Methods of Instruction: Maestro Cruz utilized corporal punishment for discipline. While Rizal later criticized this in Noli Me Tangere, he recognized how the discipline assisted his higher education.

• Conflict and Growth: Jose was a victim of bullying (notably by Pedro). To compensate for his small physique, he sought training from Tiyo Manuel in arm wrestling and fencing.

Philosophical Outlook and Historical Tribute

• Nesci Te Ipsum: "Know thyself, for an unexamined life is not worth living."

• Measurement of Life: The fullness of life is not chronological; a "lived life" (one with significance) is greater than a "life lived."

• Legacy Monument: A monument was erected in Calamba under Mayor Joaquin M. Chipeco, Jr. and inaugurated by President Benigno S. Aquino III on June $19$, $2011$, marking the $150$-th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal. The inscription emphasizes his desire to show that Filipinos "know how to die for our country and convictions."